Next month, new character Julia will join Big Bird and Elmo on the most famous street in America when the iconic kids show airs on HBO and PBS.

But while Julia’s introduction has been roundly praised, she’s just the latest in a long line of characters who have been introduced in order to educate young children about some difficult and complicated issues.

Take Mahboub for example, the character introduced in 2006 in order to reduce hatred between Israelis and Palestinians.

The character, who spoke both Israeli and Palestinian, was praised by Israel’s then education minister for ‘teaching children how to live together…despite their differences.’

Mahboub (left) was introduced in 2006 (Picture: CBS)

Then there’s Kami, the show’s first HIV-positive character who was introduced to the South African version of Sesame Street in 2002.

She was introduced in a bid to reduce the stigma surrounding HIV/Aids in a country that has one of the world’s highest infection rates – and was deliberately given a name that is derived from ‘acceptance’ in the Zulu, Sesotho and Setswana languages.

On one occasion, she even met Bill Clinton!

More recently, the show also tackled child hunger in 2011 with an episode that aired in the evening in a bid to grab the attention of adults.

At the centre of the episode was new character Lily, who is described as ‘food insecure’ as she comes from a low income family and is given free school meals.

Lily was introduced in 2011 (Picture: YouTube)

And not forgetting Bert and Ernie, of course, who have been long rumoured to be the first gay couple on Sesame Street.

But while the theory still rages on, Sesame Street boss Gary Knell previously dismissed it in 1994, affirming: ‘They are not gay, they are not straight, they are puppets. They don’t exist below the waist.’